With summer officially over, early visitor numbers show that Banff National Park bounced back stronger than ever from last year’s historic flooding. Officials with Parks Canada said statistics until the end of July show a 15 per cent increase in the number of visitors through the park gates — to 1.35 million from 1.17 million in 2013.

“It’s probably better if you stick your marshmallow above the coals, not the flames,” suggests Brennah McKirdy. The Parks Canada summer staffer is giving a rundown of fire safety, which I — the Torontonian — manage to cap off with a flaming ball of goo.

Across southern Alberta on Friday, some communities were assessing flood damages while others were still anxiously waiting for the waters to rise. In Lethbridge County, officials are expecting high stream flows on the Little Bow River to wash out as many as five bridge crossings.

Not all bachelorette parties are created equal—you can thank your lucky stars and, more appropriately, garters for that. Rather than strippers and Vegas and limo rides, pre-nup fun with your friends can be delightfully puritanical and cheap (let’s just hope your fiancé isn’t).

After our delicious gourmet dinner — fire-roasted wieners with a succulent pork and beans demi-glace paired with pop — we settled into a laissez-faire evening of chopping firewood, playing catch, and accidentally poking each other in the neck with burning sticks. At around 8 p.m. (trust me, we always shut it down early), my banjo made an appearance and things went all redneck and crazy. Mom, a couple of glasses into some potent Portuguese plonk, got a line dance going with the boys. The neighbours, peering wide-eyed from the next campsite, didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or call the cops. Ah, yes, the camping season is upon us. God help us all.

Terry Krause had been researching yurts for about 10 years before he finally set foot in one at Pigeon Lake Provincial Park last August. He was amazed and emotionally overwhelmed that the project he’d envisioned and prompted Alberta Parks to take on had finally come to fruition.

Winter-weary Albertans eager to secure a coveted campsite for the May long weekend will have to wait a little longer after a software glitch shut down a government reservation system. Monday was supposed to be the first day campers could book a site at 151 provincial group campgrounds using a popular website operated by Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation.

It simply doesn’t get any better than buying a lottery ticket knowing that your purchase helps save lives. And no, we’re not talking 6/49. Rather the annual STARS Lottery. Since its inception in 1985, STARS has flown more than 24,000 missions and one can only marvel as to how many lives have been saved as a result.

A couple who went missing after they left Calgary on the weekend for winter camping have been found. Police had been searching for Melody Forrest and Garrick Wright because their friends and loved ones had not heard from them after they headed to Kananaskis Country on Saturday and did not return the following day as expected. Officers were concerned for the couple’s welfare, given the snow storm blowing through the region.

A campground in Waterton is closed to tenting because of a number of bears in the area. Only hard-sided campers and trailers are being allowed in Crandell Mountain Campground, where there has been high bear activity — including incidents of bears going through tents for food.

A black bear that had be destroyed in Kananaskis Country over the weekend after getting too close to campers serves as a solemn reminder for outdoor users to keep food out of reach of wildlife, conservations officers say. “This is really sad and unfortunate. We’re there to protect people and protect wildlife, not destroy it,” said Randy Axani of Kananaskis District.

American standup comic and social critic Lenny Bruce is reported to have said, “There’s nothing sadder than an aging hipster.” The line popped into my head often during the Memorial Day long weekend this spring as I attended the Sasquatch Music Festival at the Gorge Amphitheater in George, Wash.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOUSE — From the bird’s-eye view of a helicopter hovering above the wilderness, officials are keeping a close watch on off-road riders. More than 100 provincial forestry staff and RCMP are patrolling remote Alberta campgrounds looking for unruly campers and campsites, littering, and destruction over the Victoria Day long weekend.

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